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Steve Perry’s opinion on AC/DC’s Bon Scott
Steve Perry was born in Hanford, California in 1949 and started his musical career two decades later in 1970. He first achieved fame as the vocalist of Journey, joining the group in 1977 and leaving in 1998.
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With a powerful voice, he was an important part of the band’s sound, helping them to become one of the best-selling groups of all time. He decided to retire after leaving Journey but almost two decades later returned to music again and recorded new solo albums.
During his career, Perry talked about many of his peers even from other Rock and Roll sub-genres. One of them was the late legendary AC/DC vocalist Bon Scott.
What is the opinion of the classic Journey vocalist Steve Perry on AC/DC’s Bon Scott
Bon Scott was only three years older than Steve Perry but started his musical career six years before the American singer. Perry had the chance to see Scott performing live with AC/DC in the late 70s because Journey performed the same night as them a few times during a tour. It’s not easy to find people who don’t like AC/DC and Steve Perry loves the band and Bon Scott.
In an official statement for Bon Scott’s website, Perry recalled the experience of seeing him singing live and described his voice as a cross between “Steve Marriott and a cat”.
“I remember the first time I saw AC/DC. Journey was continuing our quest to become headliners and Van Halen, who were our opener, were with us for about a month and had just left the tour to pursue their headlining dreams.”
Steve Perry continued:
“The next thing I know, I’m in Corpus Christi, Texas showing up for our set. A new opening act from Australia was just added to our tour. I had heard about AC/DC but never seen them live. When I walked in I heard this massive pumping drum, bass and rhythm guitar groove with an amazing lead guitar and a voice soaring above it all like no other.”
“I walked over to stage left to see what the heck was happening. There he was, Bon Scott with a bottle of Jack, no shirt, Levis and cowboy boots, singing like a cross between Steve Marriott and a Cat. His voice was so fucking powerful that he changed me for ever. He lived what he was,” Steve Perry said.
One of the most interesting facts about Journey and AC/DC is that both bands debuted exactly on the same day. On December 31, 1973 the groups made their first official performances to an audience. However, at the time both bands didn’t have Steve Perry or Bon Scott on their line-up.
Perry said that AC/DC made Journey play with a new intensity
In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock in 2019, Steve Perry recalled that first night he had the chance to see AC/DC. The first song he heard them perform was “Problem Child” from their 1976 album “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”.
Journey would be the next band to play after the Hard Rock group and Perry said that they “spanked them” really bad. Because the fans were crazy about the group and they were a really tough act to follow. The singer also said that it made Journey even change the intensity that they played their songs live on stage.
“I was showing up the last 10 minutes of every show. I’m trying to sing all my stuff (backstage) and warm up. I hear this, ‘I’m a problem child!’ I said, ‘What the hell is that?’ I run out. (Then) I see Bon Scott just layin’ in down, and the (Angus and Malcolm) brothers are driving. The audience has their fists in the air, just shaking in time with the music.”
“I was stunned. I just said, ‘This is unbelievable. What is this?’ And then I had to follow this band? Go out there, sing ‘Wheel in the Sky?’ What am I doing? They’re killing me here!’” He went on to admit: “They made us play better, man. They spanked us bad. I’m being honest with ya, they spanked us a good one. Any band member will admit that. We had to learn how to play all these Journey songs, that we originally wrote, with a new intensity,” Steve Perry said.
